The Construct
Minstrel
For some reason I can't quite put my finger on coming up with creation myths is one of my favourite parts of world-building. Maybe it's because they're a fascinating insight into how a religion views the world around it, maybe it's because the creation of a world is one of the truest expressions of godhood, or maybe I just like throwing mythologies at a wall and seeing what aspects stick I don't know. But for one reason or another I can't help myself when it comes to creating how the world was created.
Ergo, this thread. But this thread isn't just for me. I bet I'm not the only one who loves creating creation myths and I know I'm not the only one who loves reading them. So feel free to share your own and don't forget to give some feedback about other people's too. I know I'll be back here more than once with new creation myths (I've got three of them in my head at this very minute and who knows how many bubbling away at the back of my mind) and who knows how many changes I'll make to the ones I have.
Here's a recent one, and the one for the religion of the empire in a story I'm working on:
............
Forever, there was Ket; the force cosmic, the One-and-All. Whose great will we know by its 4 manifestations. It is upon the endless waters that were that Ket became Iluim (Whale, Mother Sea, Through Whom We Know Creation). She grew lonely in the endless sea and sought to birth children of the land, who would be tended by her young Stal (the stag, the forest) and Luthi (the hare, the harvest). And so she came upon Argor (Ram, Master Earth, Through Whom We Know Constancy) who sat upon his rock in the ocean.
"Oh brother mine, grant me thine rock so that I may bear children of the land," Iluim implored Argor. Argor nodded solemnly and replied, "I shall give thee mine rock for you to bear your children, but you must find a place in your new world for my two young." Iluim agreed and placed Eb (the cat, the darkness) to be the night and the shadow, and Kral (the bear, the mountain) to raise the land up from the ocean. "Be warned, sister mine," said Argor, "My rock is a stubborn one and your children will know an emptiness, unable to change their world." And so Iluim bore her children upon the land, but they could not grow, for Kral held the land too high and her waters could not reach to nourish them. And so she crested a great wave to come upon Erela (Hawk, Mistress Sky, Through Whom We Know Change) who soared upon her wind in the above.
"Oh sister mine, grant me thine wind so that my water may nourish my children," Iluim implored Erela. Erela laughed heartily and replied, "I shall give thee mine wind for you to nourish your children, but you must find a place in your new world for my two young." Iluim agreed and placed Kishesh (the serpent, the lightning) to coil in the dark clouds and strike the ground, and Crigarr (the fox, the snow) to cover the land in the coming of winter. "Be warned, sister mine," said Erela, "My wind is a shifting one and your children will know a suffering, unable to calm their hearts." And so Iluim nourished her children with the rain, but they grew sorrowful, for Crigarr brought the winter too cold and her children froze. And so she swam far and wide to come upon Naha (Wolf, Father Flame, Through Whom We Know Death) who danced upon his flame in the above.
"Oh brother mine, grant me thine flame so that I may warm my children," Iluim implored Naha. Naha grinned widely and replied, "I shall give thee mine flame that you may warm your children, but you must find a place in your new world for my two young." Iluim agreed and placed Lir (the swan, the sun) in the sky to light the world, and Zalamza (the lizard, the molten) into the earth below to bubble and broil and spit its ash to the sky. "Be warned, sister mine," said Naha, "My flame is a hungry one and your children will know a pain, forever returning to ash." And so Iluim warmed her children with the flame, and they grew contented, but Iluim was saddened by her children's emptiness, suffering and pain. And so she called out through the waters of creation and met with her siblings, who gathered to hear her pleas.
"Oh siblings mine, grant me thine blessing so that I may commune with our father," Iluim implored her siblings. They smiled serenely and replied, "We shall give thee our blessing that you may commune with our father, but you must never forget our alliance." Iluim agreed and the aspects of Ket lifted her unto the heavens so that she could talk with the One-and-All.
"Oh father mine, grant mine children the will to survive through all adversity," Iluim implored Ket. Ket remained silent and released a great many fireflies to the heavens, each one bearing a piece of his being. Many took their place within the hearts of Iluim's newborn children and the others waited in the sky for their time. Filled with the spirit of Ket, Atal (the first man) led his people into a new age of being, upon the rock gifted by Argor, nourished by the rain given by Erela and warmed by the flame offered by Naha, they prospered.
..........
Fairly simple, but I like it and hope you do too.
Ergo, this thread. But this thread isn't just for me. I bet I'm not the only one who loves creating creation myths and I know I'm not the only one who loves reading them. So feel free to share your own and don't forget to give some feedback about other people's too. I know I'll be back here more than once with new creation myths (I've got three of them in my head at this very minute and who knows how many bubbling away at the back of my mind) and who knows how many changes I'll make to the ones I have.
Here's a recent one, and the one for the religion of the empire in a story I'm working on:
............
Forever, there was Ket; the force cosmic, the One-and-All. Whose great will we know by its 4 manifestations. It is upon the endless waters that were that Ket became Iluim (Whale, Mother Sea, Through Whom We Know Creation). She grew lonely in the endless sea and sought to birth children of the land, who would be tended by her young Stal (the stag, the forest) and Luthi (the hare, the harvest). And so she came upon Argor (Ram, Master Earth, Through Whom We Know Constancy) who sat upon his rock in the ocean.
"Oh brother mine, grant me thine rock so that I may bear children of the land," Iluim implored Argor. Argor nodded solemnly and replied, "I shall give thee mine rock for you to bear your children, but you must find a place in your new world for my two young." Iluim agreed and placed Eb (the cat, the darkness) to be the night and the shadow, and Kral (the bear, the mountain) to raise the land up from the ocean. "Be warned, sister mine," said Argor, "My rock is a stubborn one and your children will know an emptiness, unable to change their world." And so Iluim bore her children upon the land, but they could not grow, for Kral held the land too high and her waters could not reach to nourish them. And so she crested a great wave to come upon Erela (Hawk, Mistress Sky, Through Whom We Know Change) who soared upon her wind in the above.
"Oh sister mine, grant me thine wind so that my water may nourish my children," Iluim implored Erela. Erela laughed heartily and replied, "I shall give thee mine wind for you to nourish your children, but you must find a place in your new world for my two young." Iluim agreed and placed Kishesh (the serpent, the lightning) to coil in the dark clouds and strike the ground, and Crigarr (the fox, the snow) to cover the land in the coming of winter. "Be warned, sister mine," said Erela, "My wind is a shifting one and your children will know a suffering, unable to calm their hearts." And so Iluim nourished her children with the rain, but they grew sorrowful, for Crigarr brought the winter too cold and her children froze. And so she swam far and wide to come upon Naha (Wolf, Father Flame, Through Whom We Know Death) who danced upon his flame in the above.
"Oh brother mine, grant me thine flame so that I may warm my children," Iluim implored Naha. Naha grinned widely and replied, "I shall give thee mine flame that you may warm your children, but you must find a place in your new world for my two young." Iluim agreed and placed Lir (the swan, the sun) in the sky to light the world, and Zalamza (the lizard, the molten) into the earth below to bubble and broil and spit its ash to the sky. "Be warned, sister mine," said Naha, "My flame is a hungry one and your children will know a pain, forever returning to ash." And so Iluim warmed her children with the flame, and they grew contented, but Iluim was saddened by her children's emptiness, suffering and pain. And so she called out through the waters of creation and met with her siblings, who gathered to hear her pleas.
"Oh siblings mine, grant me thine blessing so that I may commune with our father," Iluim implored her siblings. They smiled serenely and replied, "We shall give thee our blessing that you may commune with our father, but you must never forget our alliance." Iluim agreed and the aspects of Ket lifted her unto the heavens so that she could talk with the One-and-All.
"Oh father mine, grant mine children the will to survive through all adversity," Iluim implored Ket. Ket remained silent and released a great many fireflies to the heavens, each one bearing a piece of his being. Many took their place within the hearts of Iluim's newborn children and the others waited in the sky for their time. Filled with the spirit of Ket, Atal (the first man) led his people into a new age of being, upon the rock gifted by Argor, nourished by the rain given by Erela and warmed by the flame offered by Naha, they prospered.
..........
Fairly simple, but I like it and hope you do too.
Auror
